Babymoon @ Aulani?

We’re looking into going to Hawaii for a babymoon in November during Veterans Day weekend. The trip will likely be 4 nights 5 days. We are expecting our first child so I’m not sure if Aulani is the right vibe to celebrate our last trip without a child. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks!

I haven't experienced Hawaii yet and I'm not sure how far along you are (congratulations!) but babymoons make me nervous in general and I don't think I would travel to Hawaii for a babymoon. My sister miscarried on vacation and one of her very good friends actually delivered prematurely in California while on vacation and had to stay while the baby was in the NICU. The stress of delivering prematurely in another state (especially as far away as Hawaii) is more than you can imagine. I completely understand wanting to have fun before the baby arrives but I would strongly encourage you to explore options closer to home. I'm sure your pregnancy will be wonderful and uneventful but I like to play things safe anyway.

As much as I love Aulani, its very much a family resort with kids abound. If you want quiet adult time before your life is consumed by a child, Aulani would not be my first choice. Perhaps Turtle Bay in the North Shore may be more romantic? Or even another island like Maui or Kauai. We loved the Westin Maui which was small, and although family-friendly, it had a beautiful adult pool area that we never left. It was also walking distance to Whaler's Village for shopping and dining, and we utilized the free shuttle to Lahaina for shopping, dining, and a luau.

I tend to agree with @nkereina

Aulani is great for families but there are many other resorts I would choose for a "babymoon"

If you are really set on the idea of Oahu perhaps the Four Seasons next door to Aulani would be better.

I’m with AlohaMum - Four Seasons would be much better or if you were in Waikiki, somewhere like Halekulani or Royal Hawaiian.

I like the idea of Maui better for an adult-only last hoorah, as there are just so many romantic views. But if you chose Oahu, I agree with others than someplace besides Aulani might be better. Then maybe you could plan a breakfast at AmaAma and then a spa day to enjoy a visit to Aulani.

I have to agree; I wouldn't do Aulani as a couple in any event (although some do).

I ended up in preterm labor with both my kids. My oldest was born on Oahu (we lived there). The heat made it worse; one time my parents were visiting, and I was about 5 months along. I had contractions, and we were all staying at the Hale Koa hotel. I had to opt out of dinner to lie down and drink copious amounts of water to help. I ended up on bedrest after being hospitalized a couple months later, and on meds to stop contractions.

I wouldn't want to take a long flight being pregnant, and really wouldn't choose Aulani for a couple's trip.

We went when my wife was abt 5 months pregnant. We had a great time. While I can’t speak specifically to other places I would imagine most beaches are filled with kids and families. We didn’t find it overwhelming to be there without kids. We also took a Disney cruise on our honeymoon and people thought we were crazy for that too.

The difference for us i guess is that if we weren’t for using our DVC points we wouldn’t have gone to Hawai’i to begin with. So it was either no trip or aulani. Pretty easy decision!

Even though I wouldn't recommend Aulani for a babymoon, we did go for our honeymoon and had a great time That said, we had 10 days of non-family resort time prior to Aulani. So the family factor was less of a concern compared to the importance of seeing Aulani as Disney fanatics.

I'll also add that the long flight while pregnant doesn't sound fun. A friend of mine just flew from NY to LA while 5 months pregnant and her doctor made her wear compression socks and walk the aisle frequently. It ended up being fine, but I think of how swollen my ankles got flying to Hawaii and I wasn't pregnant, so just another thing to take into consideration.

I say go for the babymoon, and Hawaii is definately a great place to do it.

As others have said Aulani might not be the most relaxing place if that is your end goal. If you’re a Disney nut (which might be the case if you’re here), then it might be worth a few nights. The other resort suggestions have been spot on.

As far as people being scared of you going on a babymoon, as long as your pregnancy isn’t high risk in the first place, I wouldn’t stress it, but make sure you chat with your OBGYN. My wife and I are both Nurse Practitioners and we took a 10 day European trip when she was nearly 5 months pregnant with a stop at Disney Paris. As anyone knows a trip to Europe is a lot of walking and she was fine.

When we told our OBGYN about our plans, she fully encouraged it. Looking back, we are so glad we did it. It was her first trip to Europe and I’m thankful we got that opportunity before having kids.

I loved my babymoon at Aulani! It was also around Veteran's Day in 2012. I was 3 or 4 months pregnant, I think, and I was exhausted. It was my first trip to Hawaii, so I wanted to hit the tourist highlights... Pearl Harbor, Hanauma Bay snorkeling, scenic drives, including to the North Shore to see the sea turtles. Other than the trip to the North Shore and a ride on a historic train, I wish I hadn't gone to Pearl Harbor because it was way too much walking for me, or Hanauma Bay because it was a lot of walking and a lot of people. So, here were my favorite things about my babymoon:

• Swimming/snorkeling in the lagoon
• Did I say snorkeling? We bought snorkeling gear on Amazon, which I recommend. I loved floating around practically weightless.
• Maternity massage at the spa (expensive, but totally worth it. I don't think I've ever been so comfortable in my life. Honestly, it was thoughts of that maternity massage at Aulani that I focused on through labor!! My happy place.) I didn't care for my pedicure for some reason. The showers outside were amazing. It doesn't really sound that cool, but it was cool.
• Eating... especially shave ice. I think I had shave ice once or twice a day.
• Hot tub... sort of. I couldn't sit and soak, but I'd dip myself in for a minute, then sit on the side with my feet in next to my husband.
• The ocean view from our room
• Naps
• Lounging on a chair at the beach, esp. at sunrise/sunset

I don't regret the trip, it was one of the best trips of my life. But as I said, I wish I would have planned fewer activities.

I also agree with Mikamarii. We have a contract with DVC at Aulani. Without the timeshare, we wouldn't have gone to Hawaii period. Maybe another Disney cruise. (We also went on a Disney cruise as a childless couple, and our honeymoon was first at Disneyland where we lived and then a week at Disney World.) So we just love the Disney magic and service.

We have a 5-year-old son now, and I'm pregnant with our second. I'm on this board because I'm planning another babymoon at Aulani in February, I'll be 5-6 months along. (I know it's not technically a babymoon since we'll bring our son, but I don't care... I'm using it anyway.) I've already decided that I'm pretty much going to plan nothing for myself, though I hope the boys will plan some father/son activities while I chill/nap/float. A drive to North Shore, the historic train, and that's probably about it. Flights to Hawaii from LA are only $285!! I don't know how long this deal will last.

So if you're a big fan of Disney vacations as a couple, then Aulani is a great destination for a babymoon. We don't mind all the kids.

I would suggest Kahala Resort for babymoon. Its very private, beautiful and still only 10mins away from Waikiki(free shuttle). Little pricey though but they have dolphins in the resort.